Reinstallation of the 4MOST instrument at Paranal (Chile)

Prior to the installation of the two 4MOST low-resolution spectrographs on the VISTA telescope, CRAL staff traveled to Paranal, Chile, from late June to mid-August to receive the shipping crates, reassemble the various subsystems, finalize the optical alignments, and verify performance compliance. The Scientific Computing Division played a dual role in this project, particularly regarding the electronic, vacuum, and cryogenic interfaces with the rest of the instrument, the focusing system, and support for performance validation software, as well as participation in the validation analyses of said performance. The mission was a complete success, and the spectrographs were installed on the VISTA telescope in early September. The complete instrument is expected to see first light in mid-October.